Lattakia, Syria

Lattakia is Syria's busiest and most modern seaport located 186 km south west of Aleppo.

Until the fall of Ugarit, the area was part of that kingdom. This was an important ancient Canaanite urban center and its language has had a marked effect on our knowledge of early religion and literature and Biblical studies.

After the division of Alexander's Empire it fell under the influence of the Seleucids and became a major city and port. Seleucus Nicator renamed the city to Laodicea, in honor of his mother, and today's name is a corruption of that Greek name.

Laodicea had an important early Christian community, a fact attested by being mentioned in Revelations and Paul's letter to the Colossians. After the fall of Rome, possession of the city seesawed between Byzantines, Arab, Seljuk, Crusaders, Mamluks and finally Ottomans.

Not many ancient remains have survived in Lattakia, but there are four columns and a Roman arch from the time of Septimus Severus (Circa - 200 AD), in addition to a beautiful Ottoman construction called Khan Al-Dukhan, which is now a museum.